What do you expect of a home when you read that it’s fully remodeled? This phrase can mean widely different things to different people.
Fully remodeled: what’s included?
“Fully remodeled!” “Completely remodeled!” “Extensively remodeled!” “Remodeled down to the studs!” If you’ve been looking at property listings, you’ve probably run into these phrases a few times, and you might be wondering what they really mean. It might be less than you expect.
The most important thing to know is this: when a seller or contractor asserts that the home is completely redone, you’ll want to know what specifically was done, by whom, and what permits and finals were obtained, if any. Ask for a list. Better still is getting receipts. And always review the disclosures carefully!
A “fully remodeled home” suggests that there’s nothing left to be done, which is seldom the case. It’s usually just puffing. Remodeling to sell is often limited to what is visible, such as:
kitchen
bathrooms
lighting
floor coverings
windows
painting
interior doors
sometimes landscaping, driveways, patios, decks
At times, we’ll hear that a remodel is “down to the studs”. This is a more specific descriptor and typically indicates a deeper remodel and may mean that the contractor replaced these items: (more…)
Home to some interesting history, the city of Saratoga, California can boast notable people, inclluding Senator James Phelan, Painless Parker, Olivia de Haviland, and Joan Fontaine, as past residents. But this city against the base of the coastal range also has interesting historical places, such as the well known Hakone Gardens, Villa Montalvo, and the Mountain Winery. Less famous but still interesting are the very old Saratoga Springs and the Madronia Cemetery, as well as the downtown area around Big Basin Way.
Some Historic Areas in Saratoga, CA
Saratoga appreciates its history, from the well known to the almost forgotten. All of Silicon Valley should be happy that the city of Saratoga has an orchard which is being preserved as a part of its “living history,” the Heritage Orchard. That park can be found at the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue (appropriate intersection), near the Saratoga Public Library and West Valley College.
An easy to visit but sometimes less well known piece of history involves stretches of streets in Saratoga. One is this patch of Austin Way off Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, and the other is a section of Saratoga Avenue between Sacred Heart Church and the Saratoga Village area.
Austin Way, near the old La Hacienda Inn (now being converted into the new and highly contested Montalvo Oaks subdivision of Monte Sereno) at the border of Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno, features a beautiful, bumpy brick road. It’s a piece of Saratoga’s history that is making its mark on the present. Bricks have been the paving along this stretch of Austin Way for approximately a century and will continue to remain a path to Saratoga of the past for years (maybe centuries) to come.
If you are interested in the history of Saratoga, California, visit the Saratoga Historical Foundation’s museum (located at 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in downtown Saratoga) to learn more, get involved, or attending some of their events. (more…)
The Almaden Winery neighborhood, just off Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, has a rich and interesting past, dating back to the mid 1850s when the site was first planted with grape vines. It was the first winery in Almaden Valley and one of the oldest in the state of California. (It survived the prohibition period by getting licensed to make sacramental wine and by bottling grape juice.)
In this post I’ll share some photos of the neighborhood with you, explain about the three different builders/developers and show you where to find each one.
What makes Almaden so highly desirable a place in which to live? Real estate prices are among the highest in San Jose (and Silicon Valley). For much of Santa Clara County, its a little remote; the commute might be a little too far for some, or so its thought. But that may be a misconception.
Where is Almaden Valley?
Almaden sits nestled between the Santa Teresa foothills and the Santa Cruz Mountains in a southwest corner of Santa Clara County. It touches the Los Gatos and Cambrian Park borders on one side, Blossom Valley on another and stretches toward Morgan Hill at the base of the valley. The major roads winding through Almaden are Camden Avenue, Almaden Expressway, and Coleman Avenue. The local landmark, viewable from much of Almaden Valley, is the famous Mount Umunhum, perched at a high point of the coastal foothills and recently opened to the public as park land.
Why Choose Almaden Valley?
Great living: Almaden boasts low crime, great schools, and strong community involvement. With nice public facilities such as a rec center and library, and some neighborhood communities with cabanas and busy swim teams, its family oriented and kid friendly.
Scenic open spaces: Almaden has lots of open spaces with golf courses, parks, and trails. The southernmost part of Almaden and some of the hilly areas are still beautiful horse country too.
Back in December, when we actually enjoyed a bit of rain, my family and I trekked over to Hakoke Gardens in Saratoga to introduce a visiting relative to the beauty of this park-like setting. I’ve been meaning to share the images ever since but am motivated especially now because of upcoming events there.
There are more events to consider, which I will post below the slideshow. Hakone is lovely year round, but even more stunning now in spring – so if you have never seen it, please go take in the sights!
Hakone Gardens photo gallery – images from December 2014
The Buddhist Temple in San Jose’s Japantown – one of only 3 Japantowns in the US
San Jose’s Japantown is not just a neighborhood, but a community with a strong history. Only three Japantowns still exist in the US, and San Jose’s Japantown is the only one that remains in its original location. Issei (first generation immigrants) were drawn to the Santa Clara Valley in the late 1800s for agriculture, and somewhere between 1890 and 1900 they founded Japantown, also called Nihonmachi, next to the site of San Jose’s second Chinatown, known as Heinlenville, which no longer stands. It became a cultural center, safe from the hostile anti-immigrant attitudes of the time. Stores sold familiar products, there were restaurants, boarding houses, social clubs and sports, a bath house, and work and recreation for the Japanese pioneers. As with other groups, the first immigrants from Japan were mostly male, so this “bachelor society” also entertained in gambling houses and brothels.
The Fairview Plaza Historic District is close to downtown Los Gatos but tucked away on a small knoll with only one access road plus one easy-to-miss pedestrian pathway. For newcomers, it’s a bit of a surprise to discover this little enclave.
What do you find at Fairview Plaza? Begun in the 1880s, the little neighborhood is set around a tiny park surrounded by a small ring road full of charming Victorian homes (though not all properties are houses and not all houses date from the 1800s). The most famous house, though, is unseen from the street, was completed in 1919 and designed by the very famous architect Julia Morgan.
Recently I did a video “drive through” of Fairview Avenue and Fairview Plaza, and posted that together with a bit more information on my Live in Los Gatos blog. Want to get more information on this lovely area? Please read more and check out the video at the link below. And if you want more videos of Los Gatos neighborhoods, I’m building a library of them, slowly but surely – and you can find those at YouTube.com/popehandy.
Although the Glenridge neighborhood in Los Gatos doesn’t wear the “historic district” label, many of the lovely older homes on the bluff over the Almond Grove District are historic properties themselves.
Why is the Glenridge neighborhood so popular?
There are many elements of Glenridge which seem to speak to home buyers:
scenic beauty (views of the hills, views across Los Gatos or the valley)
charming, custom historic homes – not a tract neighborhood
a consistently well kept area
close proximity to downtown Los Gatos
beautiful neighborhood park, Bachman Park
highly regarded Los Gatos Schools
gentle hills and mildly winding roads make the area more interesting and appealing visually
Recently I did a “drive through video tour” of the Glenridge area with a special look at Bachman Park too. I’m no professional with the video, so please pardon the shaking and in some cases less than perfect transitions. This video is just under 4 minutes and will give you a good sense of what the neighborhood is like. Enjoy – and call or email me if you’d like to discuss Glenridge real estate, and your buying or selling there!
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The historic Almond Grove neighborhood, or the Almond Grove district, is in or perhaps more properly adjacent to downtown Los Gatos. It is one of only 5 areas named by the town as a “Los Gatos historic district.” The others are the Edelen or University Historic District, the Fairview Plaza Historic District, the Broadway area, and the Downtown Historic District. (I was surprised that the Glenridge area doesn’t enjoy the same distinction – but I’m sure that there’s a good reason for that.)
Map by the Town of Los Gatos
What sets this neighborhood apart, besides simply having older houses? Why make it a special historic district?
It certainly got off to a good start. The subdivision was first auctioned off in 1887. They began with approximately 40 acres of former almond orchards that was subdivided into 170 lots and by the end of the first auction day, a full 121 of them were sold!! But that’s not it. However, part of it had to do with the background story. Below please find an excerpt from the town’s website.
The town has a long discussion as to why this area is historic. It’s not just the age of the buildings, but also what happened there and who lived there and why they were important to the town.
Almond Grove Los Gatos video
I’ve written much more on my “Live in Los Gatos” blog. To learn more, please read these articles:
There’s a lot to love about central San Jose, especially near Santa Clara University (that’s my bias: I grew up near there) There are lovely neighborhoods with classic architecture such as The Rose Garden and Shasta-Hanchett. There’s a lot of good eating and entertainment in that part of the valley so close to downtown San Jose too, including Greenlee’s amazing cinnamon bread (you must try their highly prized cinnamon bread), fun & upscale Santana Row.
It might be too easy to miss a local, but low key landmark where you can find hand made chocolates: Schurra’s in San Jose – right on the Alameda, perhaps 2 miles from SCU and one or two from downtown San Jose proper. Schurra’s has been a part of central San Jose for 100 years – it was founded in 1912 and managed to survive the Great Depression and now appears to be thriving through our Great Recession.
Step into Schurra’s and breathe deeply. The smell of the rich chocolates is almost intoxicating! There’s a huge variety so there should be no trouble finding something for everyone in your party! There are chews, truffles, creams and nuts. Dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Dried fruits. Gift boxes galore. Holiday specials. You name it, they seem to have it.
There’s even a little cooler full of ice cream, too.
So hop on your bike, walk or drive your car and visit this very cool old icon of San Jose. It’s goodness that harkens to a bygone era when this valley was known for it’s produce and not its high tech, when it was called The Valley of Heart’s Delight. Take a nibble…or two…. Enjoy a taste of living history! (While you’re in the neighborhood you ought to go to Greenlee’s too and get some of that cinnamon bread for later! It’s practically across the street and is another historic business in Santa Clara County.)
Schurra’s 840 The Alameda San Jose, CA 95126 (408) 289-1562
Related: Out near Los Gatos, another great shop to visit is Chocolate Dream Box. I wrote about it on my Live in Los Gatos blog. Check it out! Or in Santa Cruz, swing by Mackenzie’s.
Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos, CA 95030 408 204-7673 Mary@PopeHandy.com License# 01153805
Clair Handy, Realtor
GREEN
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 214 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd Los Gatos, CA 95030 ClairHandy@sereno.com License# 02153633
Mary & Clair sell homes throughout Silicon Valley: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County. with a special focus on: San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park.
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Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, AHWD, CIPS, CRS, SRES Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
Clair Handy, Realtor, GREEN Christie's International Real Estate Sereno DRE License #02153633 408-721-6160 clairhandy@sereno.com “Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley”
This is the Valley of Heart's Delight blog , covering Silicon Valley real estate - Santa Clara County, San Jose, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and nearby communities in the South Bay Area and lower Peninsula. Find info on neighborhoods, disclosure issues, buyer and seller tips, and housing market conditions in the west valley and most of the county.Please also see my other websites and real estate market statistics site, which are listed in the sidebar, above.
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Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES Sereno DRE License #01153805 408-204-7673 mary@popehandy.com
“Helping nice folks to buy and sell homes in Silicon Valley since 1993”
Home to some interesting 
